Efficacy of Digital Diplomacy in Advancing the Economic and Cultural Pillars of Kenya’s Foreign Policy
| dc.contributor.author | School of International Relations & Diplomacy | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-10-05T12:50:10Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-10-05T12:50:10Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05-15 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Globally, digital diplomacy has increasingly emerged as a critical instrument through which states pursue strategic, political, economic, and cultural objectives within the contemporary international system. Although the practice of digital diplomacy has existed for decades, the rapid advancement of information and communication technologies in the 21st Century has significantly transformed diplomatic engagement, attracting growing scholarly and policy attention. Among the state actors actively embracing this transformation is the Republic of Kenya, which since 2014 has made substantial investments in digital diplomatic tools, platforms, and communication strategies aimed at advancing its foreign policy objectives and enhancing its global diplomatic presence. Despite the growing body of literature on digital diplomacy, much of the existing scholarship remains largely generic and insufficiently contextualized within Kenya’s Foreign Policy environment. It is against this backdrop that this study sought to interrogate the efficacy of digital diplomacy in advancing the economic and cultural pillars of Kenya’s Foreign Policy. The specific objectives of the study were to: examine the efficacy of digital technologies: assess the efficacy of digital platforms; evaluate the influence of social media platforms; and to investigate the efficacy of digital communication, in advancing the economic and cultural pillars of Kenya’s Foreign Policy. The study was anchored on Neorealism and Soft Power theories. The study adopted a mixed research approach, incorporating both the qualitative and quantitative aspects. The population for the study was the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs fraternity. Primary data was collected through 17 in-depth interviews with purposely selected, pro-rated and sampled informants across the 14 directorates of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs as well as experts and scholars in international relations, to enrich the currency of the study and an analysis of specific digital diplomatic initiatives. The source of secondary data for this study was government speeches and reports, and other academic papers that refer to digital diplomacy. Data analysis was done in frequencies and themes and patterns for qualitative data drawn from respondent interviews. The study findings showed that while more than 50% mentioned training was inadequate, 70% and 65% respectively mentioned increased efficacy and stronger cybersecurity measures. Ther was a wide adoption of digital platforms (portals with 77%, global visibility with 76%, and virtual summits with 36%). The study also found social media as an appropriate tool with 94%, 83% and 88% respectively acknowledging it use in foreign policy, greater transparency, and use in crisis communication. A minority, 30%, mentioned the presence of social media SOPs. The third component, digital communication tools, was found to be effective with endorsement of real time messaging and improved translation at 95% and 70% support respectively. The challenges identified by the study and opportunity for recommendation include more training, capacity building, institutional support and coordination, and standardised protocols and operational frameworks. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Njiru, H. W. (2026). Efficacy of digital diplomacy in advancing the economic and cultural pillars of Kenya’s foreign policy [Master’s thesis, Riara University]. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.ru.ac.ke/handle/123456789/2534 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Riara University | |
| dc.subject | E-Diplomacy | |
| dc.subject | Political Environment | |
| dc.subject | Virtual Diplomacy | |
| dc.subject | Foreign Policy | |
| dc.title | Efficacy of Digital Diplomacy in Advancing the Economic and Cultural Pillars of Kenya’s Foreign Policy | |
| dc.type | Thesis |